On Day 50 I saw some very interesting artwork while exploring the area around Alpine TX.  The artwork was painted on a hearse---a Cadillac---parked near the town square in Marfa TX.  Artists amaze me. 


In fact, the artist who painted the Cycle of Education would be mentioned on this blog and elsewhere in my travels much more often had the business side of that process---handled by her manager---gone more smoothly.  Despite my inability to recommend the business aspect of her work, I will say that she certainly is an incredibly talented person.  I was told that her parents really wanted her to be a nun.  She really wanted to be an artist.  They now understand what for years they could not.  She is a true artist.  A uniquely talented individual.


Must we make sure that the academic mission of our schools---particularly the high stakes standardized exams that almost exclusively determine the official measure of a school's success, failure, or mediocrity---not undercut fine arts and other special programs that play an extremely important role in developing well-rounded young people?  Or, is a school's overriding mission measured by academic achievement, even at the cost of extracurricular development and expression? 


As a principal I engaged in the practice of "pulling" students out of art, band, p.e., and other "extras" if the data told me they needed additional tutoring in order to "pass the test".  The test is quantifiable.  It is the key measure of success many schools are judged by.  My regrets and reservations about that practice---that bow to perceived necessity---have been discussed a bit in at least one earlier post on this blog and will be discussed in more depth in future posts. 


Art and other extracurricular offerings do not lend themselves to quantification...to objectively determining a school's success, failure, or mediocrity.  Nonetheless, art (for one) is one of the most amazing of human abilities...of human accomplishment.  What do you think?  Should students with significant learning gaps or other impediments to passing "the test" still be entitled to participate in the extracurricular mission of schools?

---

Riding Stats: Day 50---65 miles traveled, 1 hour and 08 minutes of moving time, 1 hour and 35 minutes of stopped time, 51.8 miles per hour average moving time, and 20.8 miles per hour overall average.  Day 51---15.2 miles traveled.